Growing Your Own Cannabis: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting the Seeds and Beyond

Welcome to the wonderful world of growing your own cannabis! Let’s start with the roots (literally!) – planting your very own seeds. Make sure you’re patient, as it can take up to seven days for the seedling to break through the surface of the soil.

Creating the right conditions is essential during the vegetative stage. Remember, warm and wet conditions are key, so you want an average temperature of 68-75°F (20-24°C) with a relative humidity between 60 and 70 percent. Don't forget to use an intake fan and oscillating fan to keep everything running smoothly and avoid overheating. If you're using feminized seeds, you won't have to worry about splitting out the male plants. But if you're using regular seeds, you'll need to look for pre-flowers to determine the sex.

When its time to transition into the flowering stage change the lighting timer to 12/12-hour day/night. During this period, your plant will grow up to 150-250 percent larger. To keep your plants in good health, maintain the right temperature and humidity (70-75°F (22-24°C) with a relative humidity of 30-40 percent), as well as applying your nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (Nutrients).

There are quite a few pieces of equipment to get you started on your journey. Depending on your budget, you can pick a fluorescent, HID (HPS or MH), or LED grow light. Don't forget to include a ballast, dehumidifier, humidity- and temperature-reading device, acoustic ducting, felt pots, nutrients, ppm or ec pen, pH pen, chains, hooks, tape, oscillating fan, plug extensions, spray bottles, and sticky labels.

Remember, there's more to this than just the equipment, so don't forget to make sure your environment is up to speed, follow your nutrient schedule, and train your plants to maximize your canopy coverage and yield. And above all else, have fun!